User blog:Cfp3157/The Greatest Showman Review: Sincerity and Spectacle Compensate for Cliche
Even before film, people sought to escape the hum-drum normalcy and inadequacy of daily life throught their entertainment. And instead of flocking to the cinemas every Saturday, people went to the circus. And in his passion project about one of history's greatest performers, Hugh Jackman has given viewers an exciting and colorful presentation in The Greatest Showman. Despite never really rising above its colorful theatrics and wholesome message, the film manages to power through convention through sheer heart and audacity that is commendable. The Cast This film is the Hugh Jackman show, and it's undeniable. The supporting cast certainly is adequate, but it's Jackman that everyone will remember and talk about. Michelle Williams and Rebecca Ferguson are wasted in thankless roles, but do a surprisingly decent job at elevating them beyond the traditional "supportive wife" and "famous friend" respectively through infectious dedication. Zendaya is put in a similar role, but she does get a little more meat and she does a good job with it. In addition, Zac Efron is delivering his best work in years as Phillip Carlyle, a playwright and friend of Barnum. Reminiscent of his work in High School Musical, Efron nevertheless rises and performs some of the darker aspects of the character very well. Keala Settle is a notable standout among the various outcasts assembled as Barnum's freakshow, physically expressing a lot of emotion and quiet dignity, as well as delivering a fantastic performance in the film's iconic "This Is Me". But as the man who has devoted his life to this film, it is natural that Jackman owns the film in every aspect. Boundless and with incredible energy, the actor absolutely dominates the film. He easily balances the comedy and drama of the film, while his voice has never sounded better. His dancing is a bit routine, but that's less his fault than choreography. Jackman's doing some of the best work in his career, clearly having the time of his life and dedicated to the extreme at bringing this larger than life figure even more over the top. Score: 4 out of 5 The Script As far as biopics go, ''The Greatest Showman ''is both historically inaccurate and relatively conventional. Despite the fascinating life of the real P.T. Barnum, the film creates a new character that falls quite squarely into the diamond in the rough, loveable trickster archetype seen and done better. While historical reinvention is itself not a sin for cinematic writing, making a relatively standard character is. Despite that, the film does add enough edges and interesting little quirks that make him an endearing and interesting stereotype. Telling the lifestory of P.T. Barnum, ''The Greatest Showman ''tells his tale as one of inspiration and sheer dogged determination. A pauper and showman since birth, Phineas Barnum had spent his entire life trying to prove his worth. He gets his chance when he opens "Barnum's American Mueseum", displaying a wide variety of outcasts and freaks in a controversial but beloved entertainment troupe. As his troupe becomes more popular and Barnum more powerful, he soon learns the importance of acceptance of what he has. Despite the incredibly cliche plot, it manages to sway even the most cynical of viewers through sheer sincerity. While it may pass over certain points rather quickly and leaves characters underdeveloped, the inspiring message the film presents and themes it expresses make it almost too fun to criticisze harshly. Much of the film's appeal lies in how it fully and knowingly acknowledges how important it is to never become too sophisticated to be highbrow, and it hammers that point obviously but endearingly. Score: 3 out of 5 The Direction Both visually and musically, Michael Gracey certainly has a flair in quality. While he does have a pacing problem, often rushing through scenes to get to musical numbers, it never feels unnatural or worthy of intense, scrutinizing criticism. It goes by seamlessly, thanks in part to editor Joe Hutshing, making it flow like an easy breeze rather than a clunky sprint. The setpieces caught on camera are absolutely stunning thanks to eye-popping visual effects, stunning dance choreography, and breathtaking cinematography. Seamus McGarvey continues to be a phenomenal talent as a DP, delivering some of the most interesting and plain old beautiful shots of the year. Elephants, firebreathers, and acrobatics all incorporate together to make a film that is a pure feast for the eyes. All the music, written by Academy Award and Tony winners Pasek and Paul, is infectiously joyful. "This is Me" is a powerful ballad to uniqueness, while "Rewrite the Stars" is a sweet little love song sung to perfection by Zendaya and Zac Efron. "The Other Side" and "A Million Dreams" are also enjoyable numbers, if a little fluffy, but the standout tunes are "The Greatest Show" and "Never Enough". Both hold signficant narrative importance, with the former setting the pace for the film and then expressing its true message at the end, while the latter expresses a central theme and character perspective fantastically. Score: 4 out of 5 Final Verdict Much like the circus itself, the sheer absurdity and spectacle makes all the flaws seem marginal in the grand scheme. The mistakes and errors are evident- it's got pacing issues, while characters are underwritten and the script is very much par for the course. And yet despite all of that, the sheer love and adoration placed into this film will sweep viewers into tapping their foot along with every song and laughing at every joke. Hugh Jackman truly sells the show, elevating an otherwise by the numbers biopic into a spectacle worthy of the price of admission. Score: 73% For Your Consideration: *Best Lead Actor for Hugh Jackman (in a weaker year) *Best Cinematography *Best Original Song for "The Greatest Show" *Best Original Song for "Never Enough" Category:Blog posts Category:2017 Reviews Category:Reviews